Evangelical pastor says Christians are praying for detained US pastor
147 views · Published 17 October 2018 · 2:24 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(12 Oct 2018) An evangelical pastor from New York said on Friday that hundreds of thousands of Christians around the world are praying for the release of an American pastor at the heart of a diplomatic dispute between Turkey and the United States. William Devlin was speaking to reporters outside the prison complex near the western city of Izmir where Pastor Andrew Brunson was due to face to fourth hearing of the case against him. Brunson is accused of terror-related charges and espionage and faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted. There was heavy security as he arrived before daybreak for Friday's hearing. Prosecutors accuse Brunson of committing crimes on behalf of terror groups, linking him to outlawed Kurdish militants and a network led by a US-based Turkish cleric who is accused of orchestrating the coup attempt. Brunson, 50, who has lived in Turkey for more than two decades, rejects the charges and strongly maintains his innocence. The U.S. has repeatedly called for his release. Brunson is one of thousands caught up in a wide-scale government crackdown that followed a failed coup against the Turkish government in July 2016. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/f490fb320063e2eed8bc393f595548eb
